Harder to Breathe
by Liliana Moon
Summary: Two years ago he had returned. One year and a half ago they became secret lovers. Now it's getting harder and harder to breathe.


Harder To Breathe

_**Harder To Breathe**_

A.N. Hey all, sorry for the long awaiting update on Sand Prince. I sort of have writer's block to it, so I wrote this to kind of help out. This is a song fic. To the song **Harder to Breathe**by **Maroon 5**

Disclaimer: I own a room with a window and lint, but nothing much else. If I owned Naruto, which I don't, let's just say it would be called Sakura. Maybe….

"Sakura." The monotonous voice stopped her in her tracks. She turned slowly to face him. Dread built up in her.

"Sasuke." She inclined her head to him. His lips pressed in a thin line of disapproval. She felt his judging gaze on her body. He motioned for her to follow him. She wanted to continue on her path, but she knew that he wouldn't leave her alone even if she didn't hear what he had to say.

Two years ago he had returned. One year and a half ago they became secret lovers. He didn't want anyone to know she was his… lover. Half a year ago she had realized she didn't want to be his secret lover. No, she didn't want to be this cold, restless Sasuke's anything.

When they arrived at their destination, The Uchiha Complex, he stopped. She followed him into his living room. Bare, except for the couch she had bullied him into buying, once they had started their secret relationship.

"What is it, Sasuke? I'm on business from the Hokage. I can't waste time." She asked impatiently.

He turned suddenly. "I wanted to talk to you about your behavior in Hokage tower this morning. It was unacceptable."

Her eye twitched. '**How dare you say that my behavior's unacceptable!' **When she didn't answer, he continued.

"Your behavior towards the Kazekage and his siblings was absolutely embarrassing." He said being **so condescending** again.

She clenched her fist. Since becoming his lover, he did nothing but nick pick her faults. Really, she was quick becoming tired of all his **unnecessarily critical **stabs at her personality, the way she wore her hair, how she talked to her male friends, her skills as a ninja and even they way she walked. It needed to stop.

' **I** **have the tendency of getting very physical. So watch your step cause if I do you'll need a miracle.' **She thought.

She needed to end this. All of this. "Sasuke. Shut up."

His eyes widen a fraction then narrowed. "What?"

"I don't care what you think of my behavior." She said quietly.

"Oh, really now?" He asked his voice dangerously low.

"Yeah. **You drain me dry and make me wonder why I'm even here.**" She whispered. '**This double vision I was seeing is finally clear.' **

"Are you leaving me?" He asked, his eyes lowered to the floor.

"That question is beneath you, Sasuke. You know the answer." She turned and left, The Uchiha Complex, His living room, and him.

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After returning from the bar that night and entering her warm apartment, Sakura was ready for bed.

Ino had caught her after she had returned to the Hokage tower and made her promise to attend her gathering.

When Sakura's hand reached for her light switch, she was jerked out of her reverie into awareness by the insatiably creepy feeling she felt crawling up her neck. Like she was being watched. She knew exactly who it was. The last thing she wanted was to deal with was an angry Sasuke, and by the end of their conversation, even if he wasn't now, he was going to be angry.

"Sasuke. Stalking is against the law." She spoke calmly but her heart was beating so very fast.

"Yes. It is." He murmured in agreement. His hand raised up to brush the hair at the base of her neck. His breath was against her ear as he spoke again.

"Good thing I'm not a stalker." His lips brushed her ear and she jerked away.

"Don't Sasuke." She growled warningly. His surprise was replaced by anger. This didn't surprise her.

"Why? Why are you leaving me? Is it for that monster? Gaara?" His eyes were slits.

"No. and I don't want to discuss it tonight." She replied.

"Sakura, you said you still loved me after I returned." His expression was blank once again.

"I was wrong. Beside people change." Sakura turned to leave him.

"But I haven't." He said grabbing her arm and pulling her back into his arms.

"**You want to stay but you know very well I want you gone."** She was limp in his arms wishing he'd let go.

"I love you though." He buried his face into her shoulder. Those four words brought her anger to the surface again.

"Then why could I never tell anyone about us? Why didn't you? Were you embarrassed about me? Because I'm not perfect like you. Because I'm not ANBU? Because I don't have a blood limit? Because I don't belong to a clan? Because you think I'm good enough for you? Well, you're **not fit to funkin' tread the ground that I am walking on." **She had ripped out of his arms and glared at him.

"Get out, Sasuke. This is the last time I'll tell you." He turned. Before leaving he said. "**When it gets cold outside and** **you got nobody to love, you'll understand what I mean when I say, there's no way I'm gonna give up."**

He did his ninja thing and proofed away. Gone.

Sakura asked herself, "What the hell is this 'I'm not gonna give up' crap"

'Maybe, he's lost it, finally. Wait, I guess you have to have it to lose it, so that can't be it.' Inner Sakura piped. Her appearances were increasingly rare. But sometimes she would pop back up with some quip about someone or something. Her usual remarks much more callous

Sakura shook her head. "Not my problem anymore."

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Sasuke sat watching Sakura's apartment. Insane fury was the best way to describe his feeling at that moment toward one red headed Kazekage. He had seen they way they had grown closer.

Sakura had been on a three month mission a while back in Suna. Help their medics and trading secrets to improve the bond of peace. Or at least that's what Sakura had said. He had heard rarely from her during those months.

And this morning in the Hokage's office, it seemed as if they were flirting! Her eyes had started to sparkle the moment they entered the office, he had been the Nin to escort them into the office.

At first he had thought it was because of him, but her eyes had lost that sparkle a few weeks after they began their relationship. He hadn't wanted to think on why they had. He had her, that's all that mattered to him. Sure he hadn't loved her then, but he had a definite attraction toward her. He had grown to love her.

But when those eyes sparkled again, it gave him hope. Hope that she loved him still. But the she smiled at the Kazekage and he returned her smile. She had called him 'Gaara' in greeting, not Kazekage, as she should have, and he answered her greeting with his own use of her name.

Tsunade had been no help at all, encouraging them with a smile. His brother and sister also greeted her with warmth that shouldn't be. Temari went as far as to hug Sakura. Sakura hadn't acknowledged him at all, her attention on the Kazekage as he filled her in on the improvement of the medics she had trained.

When he asked Shizune why they were here in Konoha, her reply was the Kazekage was on vacation. Since when do kages take vacations?

Since when did Gaara smile and reach out and touch someone? He hadn't missed the way Gaara's fingers had brushed a stray hair from her face. Since when did she just smile, blush prettily, and thank that bastard?

'**Is there anyone out there cause it's getting harder and harder to breathe**.' He thought.

"Are you going to stalk her all night?" the last voice he wanted to hear spoke quietly.

"What the hell do you think you are doing here?" Sasuke's was cool as ice.

"I could ask you the same thing." His tone matching Sasuke's.

Sasuke almost didn't realize he had thrown a punch till his fist colligated with Gaara's sand. The ensuing battle was not long lasting. Gaara just blocked every attack.

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Sakura was quite sure Sasuke was out side her apartment brooding about their break up. In truth she though he had taken better than she though he would have.

As she rolled in to bed, her thoughts wandered back to the time before he had left. How weak she had been. Then they wandered to his return and the subsequent secret relationship she had started. What a fool she had been, thinking he had loved her. Love was just words with him.

'**Is there anyone out there cause it's getting harder and harder to breathe.'**

What felt like hours later she finally fell asleep.

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When Sasuke return to his home after his short stay at the hospital, the last thing he expected to find was an angry Sakura standing in his living room.

"Sakura, what are you doing here." He should have sensed her. But like all elite nins, she was very good at hiding her presence.

"What am I doing here? Do you have any idea how stupid you are?"

His blank stare made her want to throttle him.

"Attacking the kage of another country! What the hell is wrong with you?" Her voice held suppressed rage.

"What? Afraid I'd hurt your boyfriend?" His cold reply was what set her off. He hadn't even seen her hand move. The resounding sound was the only other noise Sasuke could hear, besides her harsh breathing. The pain barely fazed him.

"You're an idiot! He is a visiting dignitary. He is an ally. We are in negations with Mizu right now, if they learn our shinobi attacked our allies, how are they to trust us? This isn't about me or Gaara or even your hurt ego."

"More is hurt then that, Sakura."

She shot him a look of confusion but ignored him. "You will write a letter of apology."

"Says who." Sasuke knew he was being obstinate, and he knew he was pushing her buttons.

"The Hokage and me." She growled.

"Fine." He answered, knowing if the Hokage wanted she could toss him back in to prison, or reduce his chunin rank to genin again.

This time Sakura was surprised. She expected Sasuke to fight her more on this.

"Thank you." She moved to leave when his hand reached out for her wrist.

"Is that all you came here for?" His voice had an odd deeper tone, one that spoke of suppressed emotion.

"Yes. Sasuke." She sighed.

Why did he pretend so much? It's not like he really cared for her. Did he? No, that couldn't be it.

'More is hurt then that, Sakura.' She heard his words again in her head.

Maybe he did care? But what if he said that just to get her back? But why would he want her back if he didn't like her… or even love her?

'I love you though.' His words whispered through her head.

'No, what hell is wrong with me? We are over, done with!' She thought and looked back at Sasuke.

'Doesn't matter even if he does actually love me, I don't love him.'

"**What you are doing is screwing things up inside my head****." **She told him. She watched his expression.

It looked as if he was confused, then he smirked.

He knew she had been have second thoughts about breaking up with him and he knew this was his chance to try for her again.

And hot damn, she knew he was sexy when he smirked and she was still attracted to him, she'd have to be blind, dumb, and deaf not to be.

It came as no surprise when he kissed her, or that she kissed back. When he pulled back she looked up and shook her head.

"**You should know better****, you never listened to a word I said. **Goodbye Sasuke." She turned from him to leave.

"Sakura, you know I'm the best you'll ever have, why leave? But I could have done better, I could've had anyone I wanted. But I chose you." Sasuke asked, his ego refusing to give in, his heart telling him not to let go.

Sakura smirked this time.

"You never really chose me. You kept our relationship a secret. That's not choosing me. Sasuke, what are you waiting for? Since you can do better, go find this better person. But when you're **clutching your pillow and writhing in a naked sweat, hoping somebody someday will do you like I did, **remember this conversation and remember not choosing me, not loving me and we'll see how much better this better person is than I."

Inner Sakura rooted her on inside her head as she spoke, her own boldness shock both herself and Sasuke.

Sasuke's expression was one of confusion, hurt and shock. In that moment he indeed had been telling the truth, he had loved her, still loved her.

And for once wasn't hiding it, or just he couldn't control his expression.

A swift need for vengeance for all the pain he had put her through, for killing her love for him so slowly were the only explanation she could come up with for her next actions.

Her fingers caught his chin and made sure he was looking at her. She leaned up and whispered into his ear.

"**Does it kill? Does it burn? Is it painful to learn? ****That it's me that has all the control."**

Their positions were switched now, he loved her and she didn't love him. She had all the control.

His reaction was to pull her into a kiss. She pulled away to whisper once again in his ear.

"**Does it thrill? Does it sting? When you feel what I bring, a****nd you wish that you had me to hold."**

After whispering the words she did her ninja thing and proofed away. Gone.

Sasuke knew that was the last time he'd kiss her for a long while. He knew it was the last time he'd hold her for a long while. And he knew the rest of his life was going to devoted his life to trying to gain her back.

"**When it gets cold outside and you got nobody to love. You'll understand what I mean when I say,  
there's no way I'm gonna give up." **He whispered into the cool air of his home.

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Sakura breathed a sigh of relieve when she stepped into her empty home. Blushing at her bold actions she thought about all she had said and done.

'**Is there anyone out there cause it's getting harder and harder to breathe.'**

I substituted the **WE'RE** with **I'm** for the sake of the story. in the parts were sasuke says **there's no way I'm gonna give up.**

In the song it says we're.

A.N.: So what do you think? I was thinking of it? Let me know! I was thinking of making this a regular fic with each chapter a different song for an on going story.


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